Lovely view.

 A beautiful old postcard of Bottoms Hall Wood dated 1916.

Gower Hey Conservation Group

If ,like me, you are lucky enough to live near Gower Hey Woods then you will know all about the sterling work that is done by the Gower Hey Conservation Society.

For those people that are unaquainted with it , here is a brief description from the first issue of their new leaflet.

Please note that the group are always ready to welcome a new pair of hands to help them.
If you would like to find out more,  please visit www.tcv.org.uk  
or telephone Stuart Manson on 0161 368 8883




Many thanks to all the volunteers for keeping the woods clean and nice for us all to enjoy !!  :)

Gower Hey Wood.

 Here are a few recent photographs of Gower Hey Woods showing the ongoing work that is being done by the Gower Hey Conservation Group. They are doing a great job with the new pond and the woods look so much cleaner and nicer.


Any idea what species of tree this is? The bark is quite distinctive .


The new pond is looking good. Such an improvement on the dank, dark wetland that stood there before the pond was made.



The entrance to the woods via the Trans Pennine trail between Stockport Road and Apethorn Lane..

Last year , after visiting the woods to see the important work done by the Conservation Group, MP Jonathan Reynolds said  

"Members of the Gower Hey Wood Conservation Group have worked hard to ensure the local community can fully appreciate the natural and industrial heritage of the Gower Hey Wood area. And their commitment and effort should be congratulated."

...and so say all of us !

A big thank you to everyone for their continued sterling work ! :)

Gower Hey Woods

I notice  that they have started to build a pond in Gower Hey Woods. This area has been a dark ,unwelcoming part of the woods for many years. It's a great improvement and sterling work by Gower Hey Conservation Group.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the wildlife it attracts !

 Gower Hey Wood Conservation Group

The group are a voluntary organisation whose aims include maintaining and improving the general environment, enhancing wildlife habitats, and providing a place of enjoyment for local people and visitors.

Working in partnership with the Council and its Countryside Ranger Service, the group meets several times a year to plan activities and share information.

If you are interested in joining the group then contact 
Stuart Manson on 0161 368 8883

Not the first time a pond/lake as been in the woods.. and by the sound of the description above from the book A History Of Hyde it was once a very nice sight indeed... I'm sure it can be and will be again if this group have anything to do with it. 

Thanks to Dave for the above two pictures which he took in November last year

Magic Tree (2)

We have been asked for directions to Hyde's Magic Tree that we featured the other day... well we have done better than that... our very capable resident photographer Dave Williams went back down there and took more pictures for use which show the way to find the tree. So it's over to Dave........

I thought the easiest way to tell you where the tree is would be to go down there and take a series of photos, so I did that this morning... You go down Apethorn Lane and over the canal bridge .

then down the steps and the path towards the river...

Go through the gate...... 

and by the side of the river....

and where the path coming across the bridge from Gibraltar Lane crosses that path, go straight ahead ...

follow the man with the dog!..... Go up the rise and past the bench on the left......

then follow the path till you see a small signpost on the left telling you about the lime trees......

The 'magic tree' is just ahead of you on the right.... 

You will see that the tree still has a good display of leaves .

......

Thanks you again Dave for coming to the rescue..... this walk would be great to start the New Year off.... and on that subject I'd like to wish all our friends and fellow Hydonians far and wide... and one or two we have adopted as honorary Hydoniana as well.... a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Nancy & Dunc

Tom & Jane

The Magic Tree

Holm Oak

Dave Williams sent this in for us all...   

This time of the year, and particularly when the weather's like it's been just recently always takes me back some 20 years or so to when our 2 boys were still young. There was a column in the Reporter one week about the 'Magic Tree' in Gower Hey Wood just the other side of the canal from Gee Cross Mill. The tree is an evergreen variety of the oak and as such is in leaf throughout the year - I remember taking the lads down to have a look at it. I've been down today to have another look and although it looks a little the worse for wear in this cold weather there are still leaves on the branches. It's not easy to get a good photo of it, but I've attached what I managed to take, and also a couple of others I took on my walk. You'll see that some people obviously thought the ice on the canal was thick enough to walk on, and luckily they were right!

Thank you Dave, I had this tree pointed out to me along with others when a very young boy by my dad, we were more than likely out collecting Holly to decorate the house. The above tree is a Holm Oak, also known as the Holly Oak.. Not far from this tree is a beautiful Variegated Holly which my dad always hoped was well in berry.

 



Dave mentioned about folk walking on the ice..... I cringe now looking back at all the times my friends and I did this... we even rode our bikes on it, and how we'd laugh if someone fell in...we'd then head for the woods to light a fire and dry off before going home.

I've added the old postcard which we've shown before, as a comparison to Dave's shot of Captain Clarkes Bridge.....  thanks again Dave for these great pictures..;0)

Around Brookfold Godley

Brookfold is an area that as almost been forgotten and looks much the same today. It is a perfect place for a Sunday stroll. Any information of this area would be of interest to use... and please feel free to send in your pictures so we can add to the post.

Bottoms Hall Woodlands Walk

We have got to thank Mary R for this walk back in time... these are pictures and post-cards from her own collection of Bottoms Hall and are shared here today in their entirety. Like us she will browse the internet for such pictures of her home town to collect.. and has been lucky in her finds. We will hopefully be showing more from Mary's collection of other parts of town in the near future. Mary says she keeps her pictures of  Hyde in a special box that she once used for her sewing. She tells us she enjoys reading the posts and reminiscing about her past life in Hyde 

Mary say's she walked these woodlands as a small child, and as fond memories of her younger brother sat atop of her fathers shoulders.. she recalls picnics by the stream and paddling in the water by the bridge in the 3rd picture up. 

If you would like to see your pictures and words here please get in touch with either me or Nancy on hydonian@gmail.com we will be more than pleased to show them here.

Around Bowlacre

The last time I walked these woods was around 3 years ago.... it was a bright spring morning around 10.30.. I was more or less where the 2 lady's are stood in the above pictures when something caught my eye in the hollow... it was a big male fox.... it was the healthiest and biggest I'd ever seen... it just glanced at me once or twice as it crossed the stream, climbed up the bank and followed the path.. I was lucky enough to get a few shots off with the camera... I showed these on my  Wiggers World  blog.. I would have included one here but they were among many I lost by my own mistake a while back.  If you get the chance to walk these woods try to go there when it as been dry for a while as it can be very boggy.

Brook Fold Wood, Godley

Brook Fold Woods was a favourite place to head for in Victorian times... these woodlands, and many more that surround and cut through our town, were once part of much bigger woodlands and would have provided much food and hunting in days of old.

If you walk along The Trans Pennine Trail..... towards the end of the old Goods Line at Godley East, Brook Fold Woods runs up towards Mottram Old Road, at the side of the railway line, it's quite overgrown in places now.. Again, this is a place to spot the odd Roe Deer.. These deer are quite timid and soon make off at the slightest sound... They have for years made good use of the railway lines to move around.. so try to keep the lines in sight and if you are lucky you might get to see them. I have stood on the train bridge on Mottram Road, popped my head over and looked down the lines towards Hattersley Train Station and seen them grazing.. My friend as a pictures or some grazing here I must try to get some copies for here.

Bears Wood Bridges And Dove Fold

Bears Wood as always been a popular place to walk and take picnics for the folks of Hyde and Gee Cross.. I played here many times as a youngster, nesting and collecting birds eggs... as lads did back then, later in life poaching the odd rabbit from the fields between the woods and Green Lane. If you remember this woods why not leave a comment and tell us your memories. If you've never walked it, join the trans Pennine Trail, there is a footpath down to the trail at the Grange Road North/Mansfield Road junction. Bears Wood runs between the housing on the Grange Road South estate and the fields at the side of Green Lane... then follow the path up towards Mottram Old Road. For years Tawny owls have roosted in a certain Holly tree here... I remember it from my youth and was surprised to find it still used 2 years ago.... it may still be used now.

The Iron Bridge at Dove Fold.